Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-03-23

but is shoal at the mouth. The
stream is fed by springs and the va
ter clear. 1t is numbered eight miles
above the lake. and many million feet
of logs are run down every season.
The south branch of Thunder Bay
River and the outlet of the lake Is
fifty feet wide. and quite deep at high
water. II has rapid current. caused
by dam at the foot of the lake.
which raises the water about three
feet. All logs put into the lake are
run over this dam AMI taken to Alpe-
ma. The logs are taken through the
lake by means of a steam scow, in the
following manner: A large line. two
thousand feet long, is coiled up on the
scow, one end of the line made fast to
the raft, the scow started, and all the
line paid out. large anchor is let GO.
and the end of the line taken to a
steam windlass, and the raft is pulled
up tn the scow which goes ahead again.
In this way the raft is brought to the
outlet and the logs sluiced over.
l intended to set the net near Hard
wood Point, but could not on account
of the scow coming down that side.
The net was set the first time opposite
Doctor Point and about the center of
the lake in sixty-fve feet of water.
The net was set at night and lifted the
following afternoon, and six white
fish were caught The next time the
net was set midway between East Bay
and West Branch in sixty feet of wa
ter, and only two whitefsh were
caught, the fish evidently being near
the other end of the lake and nearer
their spawning beds. The whiteish
resemble the gill-net fish caught in
Lake Huron, but are more round and
weigh from three to FIVE pounds each.
The fins and tail are dark yellow,
some of them nearly red: are not as
fat as the lake fish but much harder,
and are of finer flavor. They are
taken with spear and gill net when
they come on their spawning beds,
from the 10th to the 25th of Novem-
Der, and are taken in large numbers
by the aid of a jack light and spear.
Gill nets are used every fall, but most
of them are speared. The largest
bed is located opposite Hardwood
Point and is about one mile long by
one-half wide, other beds being in
different parts of the lake, rs indicat-
ed on map. These beds are located
in water from fifteen to twenty feet
deep and on sand and soft bottom,
which is thickly covered by round
weed that resembles a cats tail and
comes up to within four or five feet of
the surface. 1t is impossible to see
through them. and net set on these
beds catches them as they pass over,
as the corks remain on the surface
while the leads rest on top of the
weeds. They are only seen in these
beds during the spawning season, but
few are seen near the shore in the
spring as soon as the ice is gone.
There are none on the beds in the
spring. A man informs me that he has
speared as high as $50 fish in one
night and has caught sixty ina gill
net one night out. This is corrobora-
ted by other residents, also by lumber.
men and others who have speared and
Melted whitefish there. There is no
question but what they are plenty.
Others have gill nets there every fall
and get from four to five barrels DUR
ing the spawning season.
As near as l can ascertain, there
are about twenty barrels of whitefish
taken out every fall, and some are
sold in Alpena and some in the lum-
Der camps. There are no complaints
of illegal fishing, as all arc interested
in doing little fishing on their own
account. A seine could be hauled in
several places, but do not think the
fish come near enough to shore for
SEEMING. As net could not be haul
ed over the weeds, trap net could he
set to good advantage outside of their
beds, as they go out over the tops of
the weeds to deep water ms soon as it
is daylight; and when they come on
the beds they come up through the
weeds from the bottom.
Could not find out what they feed
OH, as nothing was seen in those dress
ed. / could see great many small
shells on the bottom and in many
places something like moss, but in |
deep water there seemed to be no
growth, nothing but mud and clay.
A long weed grows along the shore
and in water ten or twelve feet deep.
There are several places where |
pend could be made, the only danger
would be the ice showing up; but
there are bays where this danger could
be avoided and a sheltered place
found.
The lake abounds in grass pike,
black bass, perch, herring, while
shepherds, bull-heads. and muskal-
longe are sometimes caught. Gar, or
bill-fish are often speared.
All of the above named fish are
speared or caught by trolling in large
quantities. Bass, pike, suckers and |
perch are caught In Sucker creek,
West Branch and at the outlet below
the dam on the South Branch.
The week l was there the thermom.
eter stood at 700 and very warm
nights, SO there was very little differ
ence in the temperature Of the water
mornings and evenings. The temper
AZURE of water was as follows: Hub
ha I'd alA "A lE - 70 q -